Congenital eye defects can affect eye development and vision, and may be hereditary or caused by infections, medications, or illnesses during pregnancy. Leber congenital amaurosis, congenital cataract, and primary congenital glaucoma are common defects. Early diagnosis and treatment can save a child’s eyesight, but not all defects lead to blindness. Heterochromia and congenital ptosis may not affect vision.
When a baby is born with an eye condition it is known as a congenital eye defect. The condition can affect eye development and impair vision. Depending on the specific defect it may or may not be hereditary. In some cases it can occur due to infections, medications, or due to an illness or disease suffered by the birth mother during pregnancy. Leber congenital amaurosis, congenital cataract, and primary congenital glaucoma are all common birth defects.
Leber congenital amaurosis is an inherited birth defect of the eye in which a child is born without vision or with extremely poor vision. There are some symptoms that may accompany this defect, such as rapid eye movements, crossed eyes, or eyes that appear cloudy. In some cases the child may also have some form of mental retardation.
Congenital cataract is another type of eye defect that occurs at birth. A cataract is defined as a clouding of the natural lens found in the eye. It can develop for a variety of reasons, such as the mother having an infection while pregnant or as a result of taking certain types of medications. Congenital cataracts can also be the result of other conditions, such as Down syndrome. In many cases, it is difficult to pinpoint the true cause of the condition.
Primary congenital glaucoma is a defect in which the eye’s drainage system does not work properly or does not form properly. This often causes pressure to rise in the eye because the fluid that would normally use the drainage system cannot drain and builds up as a result. When this occurs over a long period of time, it can cause damage to the nerve that carries information from the eye to the brain. If this nerve, called the optic nerve, is damaged, it can cause blindness or vision loss. Some of the common signs that a child has this condition are sensitivity to light, blurry corneas, watery eyes, and enlarged eyes.
If a birth defect of the eye causes vision loss, this loss can occur immediately or after months or even years. It is important to discover congenital eye defects as quickly as possible. While not all defects can be improved, early diagnosis and treatment can save your child’s eyesight.
Not all congenital eye defects lead to blindness. Heterochromia is a birth defect in which one eye is a different color from the other. While it can occur due to other conditions, it is often not problematic and the eyes often function properly. Congenital ptosis, or droopy eyelids, is also a condition that doesn’t always have a negative effect on vision, although it can indicate other eye or health problems.
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